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How to Bathe a Puppy: A Detailed Guide for your puppy's first bath
Wondering what is the right age for puppies to have their first bath? Want to know how to bathe your puppy? Dr Pai has all the answers in this detailed articled
Table of contents
When Can Puppies Have Their First Bath?
As your puppy turns four months of age, you may now decide that your puppy is grown up enough to have their first bath, or more likely, your puppy starts getting dirty enough that a gentle wiping down with a wet cloth just won’t do. Here are some key points to keep in mind before you go ahead with that bath.
- Bath your puppy only when required. For dogs that don't get too dirty, bathing once or twice a month is sufficient. If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors you may want to bathe once a week. Anything more than that is excessive and may dry out your dog's coat.
- Avoid cold water. Your puppy will not appreciate being drenched in cold water any more than you would. Instead, opt for lukewarm water and pay attention to your dog to understand what they like and dislike.
- Most dogs do not appreciate water poured directly on their face or head. It is also not advisable for water to enter their ears. So, make sure that you plug your puppy’s ears with dry cotton (and remove it afterwards!) and use a wet towel or your hand to clean their face.
- Don't forget to clean in between the paws! This is the most likely place for dirt to accumulate and also least likely to be properly cleaned! Many dogs are sensitive to their paws being cleaned so take it slow and be gentle.
- For routine bathing, opt for a mild, non medicated shampoo as medicated shampoos like tick and flea shampoos tend to dry out the fur. Use medicated shampoos only when prescribed by the vet and for the duration for which it has been prescribed.
How to Bathe your Puppy
The day is finally here! Ideally, by now, your puppy is comfortable with you handling all parts of their body, as a part of your grooming ritual. If you take it slow and ensure that he is having a good time with bathing, the first bath should be easy-peasy! If you want to ensure that your puppy continues to have a good association and enjoys their bath time, you can break it down and slowly introduce the process, step by step.
If you take the time, to make sure your dog is comfortable with the process, you will have a puppy who loves bathing and bath time will be a pain-free affair for all their life. By taking it slowly, you will also be able to narrow down the exact stimulus that overwhelms or gets your dog anxious. Whether it is the water, being in the bathroom for too long or the strange odour of the shampoo, you can now work on getting them comfortable with it.
- Get your puppy comfortable with the sound of flowing water and being in the bathing room. You can add a Licky mat to a wall or hand-feed some treats intermittently while your bucket of warm water is filling up.
- Get your puppy used to the feel of water. While they continue to lick at their mat or eat the treats, pour some water on the ground and encourage your puppy to move within that space. You can encourage and praise them during this process with a calm demeanour. If your puppy is feeling apprehensive about being in the water, put a rubber mat underneath them to prevent them from slipping.
- Slowly start pouring water on your puppy’s body. It is ideal to start pouring from places they are less sensitive about, such as their back legs, and then progress further. Avoid pouring water anywhere around their ears or muzzle. Wetting your hands and massaging their face instead of directly pouring water is ideal.
- You can introduce the smell of their gentle shampoo before the bath so that they are not overwhelmed by the introduction of the smell during bath time.
- Slowly and gently lather the shampoo on your puppy’s body. Think of it more as a massage than a rubbing down! Be extra careful and gentle near their face.
- Let the shampoo sit for a few minutes, distract your puppy if needed to prevent them from licking the shampoo.
- Et voilà! You can now slowly start pouring water and rinsing out the shampoo. Ensure that you massage enough so that no shampoo or lather remains on your puppy’s coat, as it can dry it out.
If you take the time, to make sure your dog is comfortable with the process, you will have a puppy who loves bathing and bath time will be a pain-free affair for all their life. By taking it slowly, you will also be able to narrow down the exact stimulus that overwhelms or gets your dog anxious. Whether it is the water, being in the bathroom for too long or the strange odour of the shampoo, you can now work on getting them comfortable with it.
Drying Your Puppy after the bath
Making sure that your puppy’s coat is fully dried is as important as the bath itself. If you leave parts of their coats damp, they can easily get fungal and bacterial skin infections at those spots. There are three ways to dry your dog. You can pick what works for you based on the type of coat your dog has, as well as what your dog prefers. You can also use a combination of them to make sure your dog is completely dry.
Towel Dry
Using a thin, cotton towel is the best way to get most of the water out of your puppy’s coat. However, for dogs with a double or a thick coat, you may require more than just towel drying. Towel drying can also be irritating for dogs that have sensitive skin or are currently dealing with a skin problem. Here are some tips:
Sun Drying
Sun drying is ideal for short-coated dogs. You may want to partially towel/blow dry long-coated dogs using before sun-drying to ensure they are fully dry. Of course, this technique is only useful on sunny days and for those that have access to a terrace or balcony. Here are some tips:
Blow-drying
Blow-drying is very useful for dogs that have heavy or double coats. It's the quickest way to get your dog 100% dry. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Towel Dry
Using a thin, cotton towel is the best way to get most of the water out of your puppy’s coat. However, for dogs with a double or a thick coat, you may require more than just towel drying. Towel drying can also be irritating for dogs that have sensitive skin or are currently dealing with a skin problem. Here are some tips:
- Quick-dry towels may be useful while travelling, but a thin cotton towel works best for regular use.
- Dab and use gentle circular motions rather than vigorous rubbing while drying your dog.
- Do not forget to dry the region between their toes!
Sun Drying
Sun drying is ideal for short-coated dogs. You may want to partially towel/blow dry long-coated dogs using before sun-drying to ensure they are fully dry. Of course, this technique is only useful on sunny days and for those that have access to a terrace or balcony. Here are some tips:
- Lay down a towel/bed for your dog to sunbathe on.
- Give them access to plenty of water.
- Always give them the option of getting out of the sun.
- If possible, give your dog something to do- like a meal/snack chew or enrichment game/puzzle to keep them occupied.
Blow-drying
Blow-drying is very useful for dogs that have heavy or double coats. It's the quickest way to get your dog 100% dry. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Always use the cool setting of your hairdryer. This prevents drying out your dog's coat and avoids damaging the fur.
- Avoid the ears and face. While some dogs might find this fun, others may dislike air being blown around their ears.
- The loud noise and air blast can be scary, so ensure that you get them used to the hairdryer well before your puppy’s first bath.
- When introducing the hairdryer, switch it on the lowest setting, and leave it on the ground at a distance from your puppy. Give them a long-lasting chew stick so that they can choose to ignore the sound while enjoying its chew stick. Observe your puppy’s reaction before you increase or decrease the distance of the hairdryer to the pup. If your puppy is showing fearful behaviour when the dryer is on, turn it off and work on this separately.
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